Electric lamp cover adapter and cover

ABSTRACT

Means attaching a cover on an electric lamp is set forth having a cover adapter held between a socket and a surface of the bulb of the lamp with a cover being threadably mounted on the adapter. The adapter can have a projection extending therefrom for engagement by a person using the adapter or by a projection fixed in relation to the socket, said action holding the adapter from rotating while the cover is threadably mounted thereon. A modification shows an adapter and cover being mounted so that they are fixed on the lamp by having the adapter engage the bulb on the bottom side while the cover, or means attached to the cover, contacts the bulb on the top side. Means are also provided to hold the wires which extend away from a socket such as in a Christmas decoration-type string of lights.

United States Patent [191 McCarthy Nov. 19, 1974 1 ELECTRIC LAMP COVER ADAPTER AND [21] Appl. No.: 402,337

[52] US. Cl. 240/100, 240/10 T [51] Int. Cl. F2lv 17/00 [58] Field of Search..... 240/10 R, 10 A, 10 F, 10 T, 240/100 [5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,086,787 2/1914 Rithner 240/100 UX 1,819,125 8/1931 Sadacca..- 240/100 X 2,383,941 9/1945 Otis 240/10 A X 2,549,658 4/1951 Blythe 240/100 X 2,741,693 4/1956 Fasson 240/10 A X 2,749,432 6/1956 Dorsey 240/10 J 3,379,872 4/1968 Devine 240/100 X Primary Examiner-Joseph F. Peters, Jr.

[5 7] ABSTRACT Means attaching a cover on an electric lamp is set forth having a cover adapter held between a socket and a surface of the bulb of the lamp with a cover being threadably mounted on the adapter. The adapter can have a projection extending therefrom for engagement by a person using the adapter or by a projection fixed in relation to the socket, said action holding the adapter from rotating while the cover is threadably mounted thereon. A modification shows an adapter and cover being mounted so that they are fixed on the lamp by having the adapter engage the bulb on the bottom side while the cover, or means attached to the cover, contacts the bulb on the top side. Means are also provided to hold the wires which extend away from a socket such as in a Christmas decoration-type string of lights.

7 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures ELECTRIC LAMP COVER ADAPTER AND COVER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of this invention is to provide a cover adapter whereby a cover can be affixed on an incandescent lamp.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cover adapter having a flange means which can be held between a socket and the bulb of an incandescent lamp, said adapter having external threads which are engageable by a cover positioned over the incandescent lamp.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cover adapter having a flange means which contacts a bulb on the bottom side while a cover contacts the bulb on the top side.

Another object of this invention is to provide a cover adapter having means projecting therefrom for engaging ones finger as the cover is being threadably secured to the adapter so that the adapter will not turn, thereby assuring relative movement between these two parts.

= A further object of the invention is to provide a projection on the cover adapter so that the projection can be engaged by a stop to hold the adapter against rotating while the cover is threadably mounted thereon.

Another object of this invention is to provide means for supporting wires extending from a socket on hook means extending downwardly from the adapter means.

A further object of this invention is to provide means on the bottom of the cover for maintaining the supporting wires on the hook means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side view partially in section of a Christmas decoration type incandescent lamp and socket having a cover adapter fixed therebetween with a cover thereon.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged portion of FIG. 1 including a modification before the incandescent lamp has been entirely threaded into the socket.

FIG. 3 is a view of the elements shown in FIG. 2 with the incandescent lamp threaded in place in the socket.

FIG. 4 is a view of a modification showing a cover adapter and cover fixed on an incandescent lamp.

FIG. 5 is a view of another modification of a cover adapter and cover fixed on an incandescent lamp.

FIG. 6 is a view showing a modification of a cover adapter including hook means with cooperating means on a cover for closing the top of said hook means.

FIG. 7 is a modification of a hook means on a cover adapter.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 shows an incandescent lamp 1 having a glass bulb 3 with a base assembly 2 attached thereto. The base assembly 2 is of the regular type with the externally threaded portion having an outer metallic surface which serves as one terminal and a button insulated therefrom at the bottom which serves as the other terminal, these terminals being connected to a filament in the bulb 3 and mating when in use with terminals in a socket 4. The socket 4 is shown having a metallic insert 5 therein which is internally threaded to receive the external threads on the base assembly 2 serving as one socket contact. A metallic button in the socket serves as the other socket contact for the button on the incandescent lamp. Wires 9 carry electricity to the metallic contacts in the socket. Similar base assemblies are shown in the patents set forth above to Dorsey and Petry.

A cover adapter 6 is shown fixed against removal between the top of the socket 4 and the lower side or surface of the bulb 3 below the widest mid-portion of the bulb. The cover adapter 6 has a disc-like member 7 which has an opening 10 therein sized so that the disclike member 7 will contact the top of the socket 4 and allow the base assembly 2 of the lamp 1 to pass therethrough so the contacts thereof can engage the contacts of the socket and not allow the bulb 3 of the lamp 1 to pass therethrough. This disc-like member 7 is then positioned between the top of the socket 4 and the bulb 3 of the lamp 1.

The outer edge of the disc-like member 7 has a cylindrical-like portion 8 which is externally threaded to receive internal threads on a cover member 12. The cover member 12 can be made of a plastic and can have holes 13 located therein if desired. If ventilation is necessary, the disc-like member 7 could also have holes located therein. An eyelet member is fixed to the outside of the cover member and a hook member 14 is attached thereto to support the cover member 12, attached lamp 1, and socket 4 if desired.

If the lamp 1 threaded into the socket 4 does not apply any or enough force on the disc-like member 7 to keepthe cover adapter 6 from rotating when the cover member 12 is being threadably positioned thereon, a projection 11 can be located to extend downwardly from the bottom of the cylindrical-like portion 8 to engage ones finger as one holds the socket 4. It can be seen that as the internal threads of the cover member 12 engage the external threads of the cover adapter 6, and rotation of the cover member does not threadably engage its internal threads with the external threads on the cylindrical-like portion 8, member 8 will rotate until the projection l l strikes ones finger at which time the cylindrical member 8 will stop and the internal threads of the turning cover member 12 will then continue to engage the external threads on portion 8 until the cover member 12 is suitably attached to the cover adapter.

If it is desired, the hole 10 can be a plain hole of such thickness so that it will permit the member 7 to contact both the socket 4 and bulb 3 of lamp 1. To insure that the disc-like member 7 contacts both the top of the socket 4 and the bulb 3 when the bulb and socket are in mechanical and electrical contact, the inner surface of the opening 10 can be contoured .to engage thebulb 3 (see FIGS. 2 and 3). FIG. 2 shows the end tapered downwardly, reducing the thickness of the member 7,

thereby making it more resilient at the inner edge. A

material can be used for the disc-like member 7 which will allow a degree of resiliency to permit a deformation of the member 7 around the hole 10 to obtain a squeezing action (see FIG. 3). This contact will prevent a cover member 12 from having a loose fit on the bulb 3 and socket 4.

If one does not want to rely on his finger engaging a projection 11 on cover adapter 6, another projection 15 can be provided on the socket 4 to engage the projection 11, and prevent rotation of cover adapter 6 and permit a threading action between the cover member 12 and cover adapter 6. Further, to prevent rotation between the cover adapter 6 and socket 4, cooperating projecting means and aligned opening means could be positioned between the top of the socket 4 and mating face of the disc-like member 7 of the cover adapter 6 (see FIG. 2).

As shown in FIG. 4, a modification of the cover member 12A is set forth having a plurality of three or more supporting resilient arms 16 which engage an upper surface of the glass bulb 3 of the lamp 1 and are held against the bulb by use of a cover adapter 6 which engages a lower surface of the glass bulb 3. The arms 16 can be formed as a solid diaphragm, having a hole or indentation in the middle to serve as a rest for the tip of the bulb 3, or arms can be used having a center ring for receiving the tip of the bulb 3. The arms 16 can be fixed to the side of the cover member 12A in any manner desired, such as by bonding or a mechanical means. The end of the cover member 128 could provide the supporting function in some configurations (see FIG. 5

In FIG. 6, a modification is shown where the cover adapter 6 includes hook means 17 for engaging the wires 9 attached to the socket. This hook means 17 can be formed on a projection 11. In this modification, the wires 9, after the cover adapter 6, lamp 1, and cover 12 have been put together, can be placed over the hook means. To retain the wires in the hook means 17, the internally threaded neck of the cover 12 could be made longer so that it could be threaded on the adapter 6 to a position where the bottom of the neck would fit into the open part of the hook means 17. If desired, the wires could be held against axial movement between the end of the neck and the inside of the hook means by threadingly moving the bottom of the neck into the hook means. A separate retaining means 18 can be placed on the end of each hook means 17 to insure fixed attachment of the wires 9. Two hook means 17 are shown in FIG. 6 located approximately apart.

While shown on the cover adapter 6, a hook means 17 of the type shown in FIG. 7 could extend from a cover 12.

I claim:

1. A cover adapter for attaching a cover to an incandescent lamp, comprising a first member having a hole therein for receiving the base of a lamp, said first member having an outer edge, a cylindrical-like member, said cylindrical-like member having an inner surface and an outer surface, said outer edge of said first member being connected to the inner surface of said cylindrical-like member, the outer surface of said cylindrical-like member having external threads for receiving the intemal'threads of a lamp cover, projection means extending downwardly from said cylindrical-like member, said projection means having holding means for holding wires for delivering current to an incandescent lamp.

2. A cover adapter as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first member and said cylindrical-like member are integral.

3. A cover adapter as set forth in claim 1 wherein said holding means for holding wires is hook means.

4. A cover adapter as set forth in claim 3 wherein said hook means comprises two hooks, one hook extending downwardly from each side of said cylindrical-like member.

5. A combination as set forth in claim 1 having a lamp, said lamp having a base extending through said hole, said lamp having a bulb, a lamp cover having internal threads threaded to said adapter surrounding said bulb, an electrical socket being fixed to the base of said lamp, said socket having wires for delivering current to the incandescent lamp extending therefrom,

said wires extending from said socket being held by said therein. 

1. A cover adapter for attaching a cover to an incandescent lamp, comprising a first member having a hole therein for receiving the base of a lamp, said first member having an outer edge, a cylindrical-like member, said cylindrical-like member having an inner surface and an outer surface, said outer edge of said first member being connected to the inner surface of said cylindrical-like member, the outer surface of said cylindricallike member having external threads for receiving the internal threads of a lamp cover, projection means extending downwardly from said cylindrical-like member, said projection means having holding means for holding wires for delivering current to an incandescent lamp.
 2. A cover adapter as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first member and said cylindrical-like member are integral.
 3. A cover adapter as set forth in claim 1 wherein said holding means for holding wires is hook means.
 4. A cover adapter as set forth in claim 3 wherein said hook means comprises two hooks, one hook extending downwardly from each side of said cylindrical-like member.
 5. A combination as set forth in claim 1 having a lamp, said lamp having a base extending through said hole, said lamp having a bulb, a lamp cover having internal threads threaded to said adapter surrounding said bulb, an electrical socket being fixed to the base of said lamp, said socket having wires for delivering current to the incandescent lamp extending therefrom, said wires extending from said socket being held by said holding means of said projection means.
 6. A combination as Set forth in claim 5 wherein said lamp cover has means for retaining said wires in said holding means.
 7. A combination as set forth in claim 6 wherein said holding means includes a hook, said lamp cover having means for entering said hook and retaining said wires therein. 